Shari Lynn Karney[2] (born February 1, 1952) is an American attorney, incest-survivor activist, and former bar exam preparation company owner.
[4] Shari's brother and father have denied her allegations and "after Louis Karney underwent a series of hypnotic regressions, clinical interviews and personality tests, licensed psychologist James J. Tschudy wrote in a Nov. 24, 1983, report that there was 'abundant and convincing evidence' that [Shari’s father Louis Karney] 'simply could not have engaged in any sexual act with his young daughter or any other child.
"[7] Shari began taking incest survivor cases helping the victims sue their families in civil court to win legal compensation in order to be reimbursed for therapy and other costs.
[7] However, Shari found it difficult to win these cases when the courts had a statute of limitations on victims of one year from their 18th birthday to sue.
After age 26, a "delayed discovery" provision allows a person who has suppressed their emotional trauma to sue within three years of discovering the abuse.
[3] For example, a middle-aged person can now sue his or her elderly parent for sexual trauma caused at age 4, in the same manner as victims of other delayed-discovery injuries, such as asbestos poisoning.
[12] The movie was released in 1993 as a television film directed by Bill Corcoran, written by Susan Nanus, and starring Melissa Gilbert.